PSYCHROPHILIC BACTERIA FROM ANTARCTICA

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Abstract
The presence of psychrophilic bacteria in soil, Skua gull and seal feces, and other materials obtained from Antarctica has been demonstrated. Thousands of psychrophiles per gram were present in some of these materials. Thirty pure cultures of psychrophilic bacteria and one yeast-like organism were isolated by cultivation at 0[degree]C. The bacteria are rods, cocci, and cocco-bacillary forms and are virtually all gram-negative and nonmotile. They do not produce indole or liquefy gelatin and only an occasional strain ferments glucose, lactose, or sucrose. They grow well at O[degree]C. and many also develop slowly at -7[degree]C. Most of the strains multiply most rapidly at 20 to 30[degree]C. The maximal temperature for growth of all strains is 35[degree]C or lower except for two strains which grow at 37[degree]C. These results suggest that psychrophilic bacteria may play an important role in the cycles of matter in Antarctica.

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